Some of My Best Friends: And Other White Lies I've Been Told - Paperback

by Tajja Isen (Author)

A fearless, "funny, poignant, and super-smart" (Ms. magazine) essay collection about race, justice, and the limits of good intentions.

In this "inspiring, determined work of personal narrative and cultural criticism" (Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives), essayist and award-winning voice actor Tajja Isen explores the absurdity of living in a world that has grown fluent in the language of social justice but doesn't always follow through.

These nine daring essays explore the sometimes troubling and often awkward nature of that discord. Some of My Best Friends takes on subjects including the cartoon industry's pivot away from colorblind casting, the pursuit of diverse representation in the literary world, the law's refusal to see inequality, and the cozy fictions of nationalism. Throughout, Isen "shows a bracing willingness to tackle sensitive issues that others often sweep under a rug" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

In the spirit of Zadie Smith, Cathy Park Hong, and Jia Tolentino, Isen interlaces cultural criticism with her lived experience to explore the gaps between what we say and what we do, what we do and what we value, what we value and what we demand.

Author Biography

Tajja Isen is a writer, editor, and voice actor. Her essays and criticism have appeared in dozens of outlets across the US and Canada. She was the editor-in-chief for Catapult magazine, the former digital editor for The Walrus, and has also edited for Electric Literature. She is the coeditor of the essay anthology The World As We Knew It: Dispatches from a Changing Climate. A voice actor for over two decades, Tajja can be heard on such animated shows as Atomic Betty, The Berenstain Bears, Super Why!, Go Dog Go, Jane and the Dragon, and many others. You can follow her on Twitter @TajjaIsen.